Chapter 720: Divine Dragon Martial Arts Festival.
by Afuhfuihgs
“First off, I have to ask because I don’t know.”
After the third martial arts tournament concluded, in the training grounds late at night.
I asked, watching Paejon, who was engaged in personal training.
“Are you perhaps a crazy bastard?”
“What, punk?”
Paejon, who was holding a boulder the size of a small room, looked at me.
His expression was filled more with disbelief than anger.
“Now you’ve really gone and done it, cursing out your master.”
“No….”
As I started to speak, I quickly swung my fist.
Whoosh-!
KWAANG-!
I smashed the boulder flying towards my face into pieces.
My wrist tingled.
Damn it, that guy wrapped his Qi into the boulder before throwing it.
“Your expression is priceless.”
“Does it look good?”
“Nothing wrong with it. Didn’t I do as you wished?”
“…Haaah….”
Nothing wrong with it? Looking at the scattered rock fragments on the floor, I could only sigh.
“It’s gotten worse than anything in the world…?”
A mess.
There was no other way to describe it.
It truly was a mess.
“Thanks to you, Elder, the martial arts festival couldn’t even finish half of it.”
From the third preliminary round onwards, they had prepared only one martial arts stage.
It was prepared to withstand any decent blow without even cracking.
Even if it cracked or broke a little, they had made it so it could be repaired.
‘How are you supposed to repair that?’
There’s a limit to everything.
It means that if it becomes unrecognizable, it can no longer be called repair.
‘That’s not repair, that’s basically making a new one.’
Who could have known?
That a mere martial artist could wreck a martial arts stage mixed with ten-thousand-year-old iron.
I looked at Paejon with slightly narrowed eyes.
‘It was called Pachel, wasn’t it?’
The fifth form of Tuapachelmu. Pachel (Breaking Heaven).
It was the martial art Paejon used against Dowang during this martial arts festival.
It was also a power I had never seen before.
‘…Breaking the heavens.’
It’s an arrogant word to be the name of a martial art.
But.
‘It really felt like it could break them.’
Having witnessed its majesty with my own eyes, I couldn’t dare deny it.
Its power was enough to make my body tremble just looking at it.
‘What was that destructive power?’
Paejon’s appearance using Pachel flickered in my mind.
A gray sphere formed by excessively compressing and condensing Qi.
He artificially detonated it, and the resulting destructive power was immense.
‘How did he operate it?’
What was that sensation?
Where did the flow of internal energy Paejon was displaying head to?
‘The source of the energy was, of course, Tuapachelmu.’
He must have used the energy that started from there.
‘How was such delicate application possible?’
The essence of Tuapachelmu is ‘destruction’.
Just casting it inflicts pain on the user.
Based on rough and powerful Qi that causes pain, destructive power is infused into the martial art.
It’s difficult to control.
And even harder to regulate.
‘Back then, Paejon applied the energy with extreme delicacy.’
How could that be possible?
Enduring the pain might be simple (?), but… Making that unruly internal energy into a sphere and containing it was another matter entirely.
Yet, something familiar stood out.
‘If you think about it, it resembles Yeomok.’
Yeomok, which involves compression, condensation, and added rotation.
Guyeomhwaryugong is also rough, but it wasn’t as unruly as Tuapachelmu, making it feasible.
Conversely, this means…
‘Guyeomhwaryugong is possible, but Tuapachelmu is practically impossible.’
Yet, Paejon accomplished it.
It’s not strange when you think about it.
It was natural for Paejon to do it, even if I couldn’t.
‘Because he’s a Grandmaster.’
A person who creates martial arts out of nothing and paves his own path.
There are many geniuses who learn martial arts and raise their level, but very few create martial arts based on them.
Tuapachelmu is passed down one-on-one.
And it’s a martial art that barely passed half a century since its creation.
Yet, it’s called a divine art alongside other martial arts honed over centuries.
Does that even make sense?
‘It shouldn’t be possible. But that old man managed to do the impossible.’
Artificial marrow cleansing and body reconstruction through internal energy.
A technique that can induce a state of selflessness on its own.
He possessed two powers that would be remembered in history, even if he only had one.
What kind of person is Paejon, who created those?
‘First of all, he’s not sane.’
That much was certain.
Anyway.
‘The important thing is, how to use the fifth form….’
“My, my. Look who’s calling whom a lunatic.”
“…!”
Just as I was racking my brain.
Paejon’s words brought me back to my senses.
“You start to say something, then send your thoughts elsewhere. Was it that impressive?”
I was even caught.
Paejon seemed to have figured out what was bothering me in an instant.
“Don’t be impatient. It’s a power you’ll end up learning anyway.”
“…You tell me not to be impatient after showing me something like that? That’s contradictory.”
I know he showed it to me on purpose.
Rather, that old man probably wanted this situation.
‘He wants me to see it and rack my brain over it.’
The fifth form.
I’m only just learning and refining the fourth form, yet he showed me the fifth form right before my eyes.
And not just that.
“Even while suffering internal injuries.”
“…”
At my words, Paejon avoided my gaze without answering.
At the same time, my gaze turned to his arm.
Tremble, tremble-.
That arm was trembling slightly.
‘Sigh.’
Seeing that, how could I not sigh?
I had to force myself to hold it in.
“Did you really have to go that far? Thanks to you, it’s caused quite a commotion.”
The finale of the martial arts festival.
Originally, more matches should have taken place afterward, but the day’s matches were halted after Paejon and Dowang’s bout.
The reason was the lack of available martial arts stages.
‘Honestly, they could just fight on the ground….’
Unfortunately, this place is Hanam.
It’s Hanam, where the Alliance is located, and it was the Murim Alliance itself that organized the festival.
Would such people start the festival on the ground just because the stage was destroyed?
‘Not a chance.’
The Alliance is one that cares more about public perception than anyone else.
They wouldn’t tolerate such a shabby martial arts festival.
-The festival will proceed once the martial arts stage is rebuilt.
Thus, that was the Alliance’s decision.
‘Tsk.’
Because of that, I ended up in an unfortunate position.
‘My plans are ruined.’
All the plans I had meticulously scheduled.
It would take at least two days, maybe three, for the stage to be rebuilt.
At least they had reserve materials to rebuild it like this. Who knows how much longer it would have taken otherwise.
‘Crazy bastards. Why the hell did they have to mix ten-thousand-year-old iron into the stage?’
Isn’t that why it takes so long to make, mixing in such expensive stuff?
‘They probably thought mixing it in would make it indestructible.’
Did they really expect it to be completely wrecked and need rebuilding?
Even I wouldn’t have predicted that.
Who could have known.
‘That Paejon would be at the festival.’
Not only had the Third Elder achieved rejuvenation,
But who could have guessed he’d participate in the festival and unleash his secret techniques?
‘Seriously… it’s absurd.’
It was a situation no one could have predicted.
Because of that, Hanam was filled with talk about Paejon today.
-Paejon’s successor. Tuyong Bi Yijin. Showed overwhelming power against Dowang and conceded.
-A shocking victory, is this truly an insult to Dowang?
-A late-blooming disciple hiding his strength. What is Tuyong’s true value…?
-Divine Dragon and Tuyong. Who is truly stronger?
Truly, all sorts of rumors were flying around.
Without exaggeration, the streets right now were filled only with talk of Tuyong and Paejon.
One of the Six Seats.
The head of the Peng family, known as the Guardian of Habuk, was brutally thrown to the ground.
And by Tuyong of the Seohan Bi family, who is considered a late-blooming disciple.
No matter how much of a successor he was to Paejon, Dowang losing didn’t make sense.
‘No… it wasn’t a defeat.’
It was a victory.
A truly humiliating victory.
When Tuyong shouted concede.
I recall Dowang’s desperate expression as he yelled at Tuyong.
His shouting, telling him not to be ridiculous and to kill him instead…
‘It was pathetic.’
I thought it was a rather pathetic sight for someone called a King-level martial artist.
‘Thanks to that, the guild leaders got busy.’
Dowang’s reputation plummeted.
The resulting shift in the Central Plains’ dynamics.
The guild leaders who foresaw this must be moving frantically.
Causing an upheaval in a festival prepared for over a year.
Shaking Dowang’s position and altering the movements of the established guild leaders.
This all happened from just one match.
The world says.
That Tuyong conceding was a challenge to Dowang’s position.
That he showed off his strength, elevated his master Paejon’s standing, and proved his own worth.
Everyone judged it that way, but.
“Conceding, you really did concede, didn’t you?”
“…Ahem.”
I knew.
That Paejon’s current physical condition was terrible.
I could tell just by looking a little.
More precisely, I could tell if I activated my Mind’s Eye.
‘The flow is all tangled up.’
The smooth flow of internal energy is twisted.
Watching him train, his physical strength seems the same, but it means his insides are a mess even if his exterior looks fine.
The reason is…
‘The backlash from Pachel.’
That immense power used at the festival.
It caused a backlash in Paejon’s body.
Seeing him in such a weakened state… what should I say?
“…If I fought him now, I’d win…. Should I land a few hits?”
“…Huh?”
“Ah, my mistake. I’m serious.”
“Yeah, I thought you were joking… What did you say?”
Paejon let out a hollow laugh.
Was what I said funny? I was serious.
‘If he’s truly weakened, I could probably beat him.’
I think I could beat the current Paejon without much difficulty.
That’s how weakened he is.
In other words…
‘Pachel wasn’t easy for Paejon.’
He had to concede due to the backlash from using it forcefully.
‘By pretending to be fine while doing it, others saw it differently.’
An act intended to insult Dowang.
A humiliating victory that would go down in Murim Alliance history.
The Six Seats losing to a late-blooming disciple, and so on.
Thanks to that, Dowang was hearing all sorts of things from the people of Hanam.
‘Was this an intentional act?’
Knowing that inscrutable old man, he might very well have.
“Then, why do you keep questioning?”
I replied with a sigh to Paejon’s words.
“I mean, did you really have to do that? You could have won by holding back a little.”
“If I were to do that, why would I even go out there? There needs to be some fun.”
“You almost kicked the bucket looking for fun.”
“If I died, you’d probably be the happiest.”
“Ah, that’s true too… Ah, shit. Just kidding. Kidding.”
I dodged the boulder flying towards my head. Damn, can’t even make a joke.
Just then.
“Originally, I intended to win,”
Paejon added, as if explaining the situation.
“But I happened to think I could show you something good, so I did it.”
“Something good? You mean that fifth form?”
“Yes.”
It was a defeat orchestrated to use Pachel.
Seeing Paejon say that, I was momentarily speechless.
“What is that….”
“Originally, Pachel wasn’t this kind of martial art.”
“Huh?”
I listened intently to his sudden words.
“It was a simpler martial art, exploding at the tip of the fist… but I got a good feeling this time and tried to improve it.”
“Improvement?”
My eyes widened upon hearing that. Improved?
It wasn’t strange for him to change a martial art he created himself, but…
The sudden mention of improvement felt peculiar.
So I looked at Paejon with curiosity.
“The feeling I got was thanks to your martial art.”
“…!”
I had to be greatly surprised by Paejon’s words. Paejon tried to improve his technique after seeing my martial art?
‘…Wait.’
I think I understand now.
The martial art he got inspiration from me for. Could it be…
“Yeomok?”
“Correct.”
Paejon confirmed my question.
The reason Pachel and Yeomok felt somewhat similar.
‘Was it because the methods were similar?’
I wondered why they were so alike.
Does this mean Pachel was derived from Yeomok?
If so, the problem is…
“How did you succeed?”
What exactly caused Pachel’s explosion?
‘Yeomok is based on fire manipulation.’
It condenses heat and generates friction through rotation.
It’s a martial art that explodes the resulting force, but Tuapachelmu lacked such fiery power.
What principle does it operate on?
Doubts about this began to flood my mind.
“Curious?”
As if sensing my thoughts, Paejon smirked and said,
“Then, try to find out.”
“What? Find out?”
“Yes. Since I borrowed the framework from your family’s martial arts anyway. Finding it shouldn’t be too difficult. So, try to find out. That’s the homework I’m giving you this time.”
“…No, just telling me to figure it out? It’s not as easy as you say.”
“When was homework ever easy?”
“…”
That’s right. The homework this old man gave was always damn difficult.
And.
“It will be helpful to you this time too.”
Damn it, it always was helpful. So much so that I couldn’t argue.
“You should start trying things like this soon. Not just anything else….”
Paejon paused, then continued.
“But for the sake of what you ‘are trying to do’.”
“…!”
I swallowed a gasp at his words.
My lips pressed shut involuntarily, and I could only stare at Paejon with trembling eyes.
‘This guy….’
Just how much does he know?
His meaningful words hit too many sensitive spots.
It felt like every word was laced with a hidden blade.
‘He’s like a ghost.’
I can’t handle this.
His martial arts, his inscrutable expression… Paejon felt more like ‘that kind of person’ than other Taoists.
It wasn’t a sense of benevolence or broad-mindedness.
‘He doesn’t seem human.’
He lacks a certain human quality. Paejon always gave off that kind of vibe.
As I swallowed my trembling heart and stood stiffly.
“I won’t stop you.”
Paejon continued speaking to me.
“It’s dangerous, but you wouldn’t stop even if I told you to. And it’s something only you can do. I’ll watch with interest.”
“…Yes.”
“However.”
A chilling aura wrapped around his indifferent eyes.
Chills.
Making eye contact sent shivers down my spine.
“Cherish your life. Remember that you have a place you absolutely must ascend to.”
“…I understand.”
His obsession with ensuring his martial art would be passed down somehow.
That obsession was like Paejon’s entire being.
A man obsessed with martial arts.
Just looking at him made me feel suffocated.
“If you’ve asked everything you wanted to ask, you may leave.”
Sensing the conversation was over, Paejon immediately issued the dismissal.
Meaning, ‘Get lost’.
Seeing that, I asked regretfully.
“Aren’t we sparring today?”
“…Your intentions are quite obvious.”
“What a shame…. Truly…”
Usually, I’d avoid sparring like death, but today I really wanted to.
If not today, when else would I get the chance to beat Paejon?
I thought so, but unfortunately, Paejon didn’t seem inclined to spar today.
Tsk.
I clicked my tongue and turned my back.
I had already asked everything I needed to, and even got useless homework. I needed to move quickly.
At the same time, Paejon’s words to me came to mind.
-But for the sake of what you ‘are trying to do’.
“…”
What I am trying to do.
I was startled that Paejon noticed, but since I more or less received his permission, I felt a bit more at ease.
‘…I guess I can do it without worrying about being caught now.’
Something I’ve been trying lately.
That is…
‘Tuapachelmu and Guyeomhwaryugong.’
Trying to mix those two internal energy techniques.
A day passed after the main tournament concluded.
A short time. Technically, only a night had passed, but countless changes had occurred in Hanam during that time.
“Wow.”
I exclaimed in admiration, looking out the window.
Outside now, the area around the residence was constantly bustling with people who showed up since morning wanting to see Tuyong.
Coincidentally, people from several prominent families, having learned that Tuyong was unmarried, came and went.
Of course, Paejon brushed them all off as if uninterested, but there were also those who persistently stuck around, determined not to miss him.
This was only natural.
‘Because he might become the greatest under the heavens.’
The greatest under the heavens.
That lofty and shining title.
A great position that only one person per century can hold,
And now, a young man who seemed closest to it had appeared, so people were trying to latch onto him by any means.
The other candidate, the Divine Dragon, belongs to Shaolin, so they couldn’t approach him, but Tuyong was different.
He was from the Seohan Bi family, which had a somewhat lower standing, wasn’t the eldest son, and wasn’t even engaged.
How could they not covet him?
“You’ve become popular overnight.”
I chuckled at the sight and took a sip of tea.
Paejon himself probably didn’t care at all, but seeing him slightly troubled made me feel good.
What was it they said?
‘They said the Divine Dragon and Tuyong would now keep each other in check and grow stronger.’
Haha.
The way they connected them seemed quite amusing. Like, ‘the battle of the century’ or something.
“Ugh….”
It gives me goosebumps, I could go crazy.
Seeing the Beggars’ Sect quickly making a move, this must also be something the Alliance orchestrated.
‘They made a big fuss, so it’s hard to clean up. Does it mean they intend to use it instead?’
If you think about it, it’s not bad.
It’s just a situation where Dowang, that old man, gets screwed.
And on top of that.
“…Thanks to that, I’ve become bothered too.”
As Dowang’s position began to hit rock bottom, my carefully laid plans also encountered problems.
Because of that, I need to quickly have Cheoljiseon and Zhuge Hyuk assess the situation, but…
I’m tied down by a visitor who arrived since morning.
‘Hmm….’
I put down my teacup and looked straight ahead.
The guest who came to see me since morning. I asked her, looking at her.
“So.”
At my question, the other party looked at me.
The hairpin holding her white hair in place caught my eye.
An old woman with fewer wrinkles than her age suggests, exuding an aura with her fine makeup.
She was none other than.
“Why has the Sect Leader of the Amipa come to see someone like me?”
Bunwol Gwonseon.
She was the identity of the person who came to see me.
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